Chapter 74 – Millions of Miracles
Sage hurried inside the bathroom. She used the toilet and then freshened up, then sat on the edge of the tub with her phone.
She held the power button down and still it wouldn’t turn on.
Irritated, she put it back in her purse, but luckily, she’d asked Mina to use her phone, and Mina had handed it over.
It had buzzed with one silent notification on the drive over.
She pulled it out and checked the notification, her focus narrowing as she saw a message from Bristol.
She opened the message, her heart hammering in her chest when she realized the message was written in a cipher all foxen were taught in school, based on the Vahiy. Shit was getting real.
Sage worked her way through the translations slowly, picking up speed as she went, excitement and fear building in her chest in equal measure.
Bristol agrees. We are spreading the word, but only to the trustworthy. We are behind you, vixie. The vod are up the bluff but have not found the Inn.
Sage recited the message again, her mind a conflicting whirl of thoughts and corresponding emotions.
We are behind you, vixie.
Bristol agrees.
Sage had always had a hard time memorizing prophecy, but she knew vod and foxen were foretold to join forces against Khain.
The problem was, foxen were also foretold to overrun the vod with Khain’s help.
Conflicting prophecies had always split her mind in two, rendering her unable to recall either.
She’d asked Bristol about it once and Bristol said each foxen had to choose which prophecy they believed, and what happened beyond that, no one knew.
They each had to choose, and then trust, and then destiny would play out as it always did.
We are behind you, vixie.
Bristol agrees.
Bristol was her most reliable aunt, a lawyer, the only one able to sway Nana in any way. If Bristol agreed with Mina…
Sage listened to the murmur of Canyon and Timber talking outside.
Bristol and Mina knew she was with the vod, and they were behind her.
She was the vixie of prophecy. Excitement built inside Sage, but it stuttered and faltered, too.
Her family was so big, and so opinionated, and so hating of the vod.
And what about Paisley? Would the vod accept her daughter?
Would Canyon? The first time some arrogant vod said one bad word to Paisley, Sage would lose her shit, she knew she would. Was it even worth trying?
We are behind you, vixie.
Bristol agrees.
The balloon of excitement popped, and she was left feeling flat.
How could this ever work? She would need a miracle—they all would.
They would need miracle after miracle after miracle.
The vod would have to eat their words and change their ways before foxen would ever fit in with them, and that would take five million fucking miracles.
Did vod even show remorse? She’d never seen it.
Tears spilled from Sage’s eyes. There was no way it would ever work and she should face it now because it would mean less heartache for her, and for Paisley.
Thoughts of Paisley made her wonder what her daughter would think of Canyon.
Sage thought Paisley would like him… if he liked her.
She thought Canyon would like her, but would he love her?
Or would he move in like a lion and kill what didn’t belong to him?
He could kill with words and daily contempt even if he never struck her down.
She considered Canyon, and no, he wouldn’t do that.
He would love Paisley as best he could. But if…
if Sage had young with Canyon… then what?
Would he still love Paisley? Would she be second best?
Sage dropped Mina’s phone into her purse. She got up and fixed her face, breathing deeply, once again feeling emotionally worn out, unsure and unsteady.
She looked at herself in the mirror, then remembered she needed to call her daughter. She ran the water and put herself in front of the closed door, then video-called her mother’s phone, which rang several times before Paisley answered.
“Mama!” Paisley cried, a happy smile on her face, a chicken wing in her hand and her mouth full of food. Someone had propped the phone up in front of her. She was sitting in a booster seat at a restaurant, wearing new clothes. She looked happy and slightly sunburnt.
“Hey, vi. My phone broke. Call me on Auntie Mina’s phone, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Are you having fun?”
“Yes!” Paisley talked with her hands, moving the chicken wing like it was a doll jumping around while she talked.
“We saw turtles, we went to the playground, and Vihvee went down the slide, we went to the park inside the big building and rode the teacup ride and uh we did circles on the rocks and oh.. and Vihvee bought me four books and two princess dollies and I got to ride a pony at the zoo.”
“That sounds very fun,” Sage said, smiling. Paisley was being spoiled. That was okay… for a bit. Paisley chewed on the chicken wing and someone Sage couldn’t see handed Paisley a napkin.
The phone jerked and the image changed, scanning the restaurant, then landing on Sage’s mother, Paige. Just before the view had stopped, Sage had seen Rosenvelt sitting right next to Paige, their chairs touching, and their hands also touching.
“Dear deae,” Sage muttered, wondering how long this had been going on, and just how far it had gone.
“I need my phone, dear,” Paige said. “Paisley will call you tomorrow.”
Paige hung up.
Sage stared at the phone, shaking her head. Her mother was rude as hell to her, but always sweet with Paisley, otherwise Sage wouldn’t deal with her at all.
She left the bathroom, through the small living room, and through an archway into the kitchen and dining area.
The wooden table was situated in front of three bay windows, where Canyon and Timber were already sitting with their food.
Her food was spread out in front of an empty seat. Sage sat down, her mouth watering.
Canyon and Timber both had gotten the Big Bad Burger, which was a half-pound of meat topped with cheese and wrapped in bacon, then grilled and served on a bed of wilted greens.
Sage had gotten the Little Mouse Meal, which was a burger in the shape of a mouse, topped with cheese and grilled onions, and served with fries.
Timber was shoving his food in his face and didn’t seem to notice Sage had come back, but Canyon smiled at her. He gathered up his untouched Big Bad Burger, offered it to her, and said, “First bite dibs.”
Timber stopped eating and stared at Canyon. “Whoa.” He looked at Sage. “That’s serious.”
She grinned. “I accept.” She bit into the perfect crust and got a mouthful of delicious cheesy bacon. Yum. Sage chewed crispy bacon and motioned at her Little Mouse Meal, with a questioning look on her face.
“Yeah, lemme try it,” Canyon said.
Sage held up the burger and let him bite it.
He nodded. “Pretty good—can’t compete with the Big Bad Burger, though.”
“Nothing can,” Timber said.
Sage took the next bite of her food and finished it quickly. The three of them were quiet, focused on their food. Too soon, Sage finished all of hers, down to her last fry. Canyon slid her a new bag of fries.
“Thanks,” she said, smiling at him.
He winked at her. “Any time.”
Silence spun out while Canyon and Timber finished eating. It was comfortable, making Sage feel like she belonged with these two again. It made her want to come clean.
“I’m a spy,” she blurted out, then dropped her eyes. “Or I was anyway, till I lost my job.”
“Cool,” Timber said.
“No, you don’t understand. I’ve been spying on you, on the wolven. That’s why I worked at Mugshots. I was placed there by… by someone, and I won’t say who, so don’t ask.”
“That’s hot,” Canyon said.
“You don’t care?”
He shook his head. “Nah. Everyone’s got a past.”
Sage laughed, surprised, but then Canyon shrugged and said, “You did what you had to do to survive. That’s not a problem for me.”
Timber grunted and finished chewing and swallowing, then burped and said, “Me, neither.”
Sage put her burger down and let that sink in. These two weren’t like other vod. They understood.
You get me, she told Canyon in ruhi. I like that.
She smiled at him and he smiled back.
Then she remembered she couldn’t speak ruhi! A hot flush hit her cheeks, and she looked down, grabbing her burger and pretending to eat it so she didn’t have to talk.
She’d never forgotten she couldn’t speak ruhi before.